Frustrating. We've build the environment ( dealt with the supply side ) but we can't bootstrap the demand. Parents are fundamentally opposed to the idea of their kids starting their career before they have the degree.
Might want to instead pick up kids who are currently attending college. Myself, as well as many of my peers, work part time off campus during the semester. Many students are willing to work part-time, school part-time. Trying to pick them up in high school might be just a bit too early for Americans.
However, I wouldn't completely give up on finding the high school kids, since I was one of those kids. I started working for my dad's employer after my junior year of high school when I passed the AP computer science test. It really gave me a leg up in finding other internships and put me way ahead of my peers at university.
How would you feel about a software dev with 1-3 year professional experience and no computer science degree joining an apprenticeship type program to go from intermediate to advanced level? Shopify has interns, is this what was intended?
Hi! I developed my career exactly the same way. I dropped out of school and I always knew that I wanted to work in software. But here in Spain when I left the school we had no apprentice plan for computers and I had to code a lot of stuff and do a lot other jobs to get an entry job in software. Now I work at the biggest cellphone maker in Spain and I'm very happy, but the road could have been easier!
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I'm the OP. Happy to answer questions about this.
You mentioned wanting to create a similar environment at Shopify. How has that been implemented and how is it working out?
Frustrating. We've build the environment ( dealt with the supply side ) but we can't bootstrap the demand. Parents are fundamentally opposed to the idea of their kids starting their career before they have the degree.
Might want to instead pick up kids who are currently attending college. Myself, as well as many of my peers, work part time off campus during the semester. Many students are willing to work part-time, school part-time. Trying to pick them up in high school might be just a bit too early for Americans.
However, I wouldn't completely give up on finding the high school kids, since I was one of those kids. I started working for my dad's employer after my junior year of high school when I passed the AP computer science test. It really gave me a leg up in finding other internships and put me way ahead of my peers at university.
How would you feel about a software dev with 1-3 year professional experience and no computer science degree joining an apprenticeship type program to go from intermediate to advanced level? Shopify has interns, is this what was intended?
Yes, we hide the apprenticeship approach behind internships for cultural compatibility.
You do know that "intern" is geting a bad rep as a method for employers to get free work - id call it trainee or somthing less loaded.
Instead of kids, this might be an ideal environment for older people who are having trouble finding jobs due to ageism or obsolete training/knowledge.
Hi! I developed my career exactly the same way. I dropped out of school and I always knew that I wanted to work in software. But here in Spain when I left the school we had no apprentice plan for computers and I had to code a lot of stuff and do a lot other jobs to get an entry job in software. Now I work at the biggest cellphone maker in Spain and I'm very happy, but the road could have been easier!
Not a question but I just wanted to thank you for this piece it was great to read.
I hope someday to find a person like Jürgen.
Or better yet, become someone's Jürgen.
Breaking out of each box, one box at a time. :-)